2014 Chevy Camaro Z/28 - The Slash Is Back

The 2014 Z/28 Was Worth the Wait

The Z/28 badge started life as just a lowly Regular Production Order (RPO) code, but has since grown into a symbol of handling prowess. First fielded by GM in 1967, it really made a name for itself in 1969 when it threw down hard in Trans-Am racing. Since then, it's always been associated with Camaros that had just "a bit more" in the handling department. Over time, the awesomeness of the Z28 package was diluted, but what the badge stood for was always remembered. How that badge presented itself on the car also changed over time. It started life with a slash, but then lost it with the introduction of the second-generation Camaro. Sadly, the Z28 faded away along with the Camaro in 2002.

Ever since GM re-launched the Camaro in 2010, fans have speculated on when The General would churn out a new batch of Z28s. In fact, Vegas oddsmakers had the ZL1 pegged to be the Z28 replacement, but it wasn't so. GM teased but kept touting the corporate line that the Z28 badge deserved a really special Camaro to earn that bit of heritage. Well, it seems that GM finally decided they had a Camaro worthy of the badge, and this time around it was even going old-school by re-introducing the slash.

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Yep, the Z/28 is back, and it's officially the best-handling Camaro ever to pound asphalt on planet Earth. It also further solidifies the Camaro's standing as the best-handling modern muscle car out there.

To achieve this, GM's engineers decided to leave the dragstrip action to the COPO Camaro and instead focus solely on handling capability. They wanted the Z/28 to be a street car but one that was road course ready right out of the gate. As such, they adopted a mantra of, "If it slows down the car, ditch it, and if it lowers the lap time, keep it." Everything in the Z/28 program is about faster lap times, and for the most part, the design team didn't care what it cost. Multimatic DSSV shocks, Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, Pankl-coated titanium rods, Recaro seats, Pirelli track tires, and Torsen helical differential are just some of the high-end parts that work to make the Z/28 king of the road course. This isn't a car in search of a cushy ride and creature comforts. The front springs are 85 percent stiffer while the rears are 65 percent stiffer than what's offered on an SS. Trailing link and arm bushings are stiffer as well, with the rear upper control arm bushings coming in at 400 percent stiffer. In turn, both the front and rear stabilizer bars are a touch smaller and tuned to match the reduced rebound travel of the new suspension.

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Thinner rear glass, a free-flowing exhaust, belly pans, unique aero components, and the list goes on. Over 190 unique parts were used to separate the Z/28 from a 2014 1SS Camaro, and every one of those parts works in concert to make this Camaro more than worthy of the name Z/28.

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The Z/28 is the only GM car, and we think one of the only production cars, to run 305mm-wide tires up front. To save weight, GM also shrunk the wheel diameter to 19 inches. Since the Camaro was designed around a 20-inch wheel, this created a larger-than-optimal tire-to-fender gap. The way to fix this and keep the tires from sticking out past the fenders, was to add fender lips. We imagine these will be big sellers in the aftermarket.

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2014 Chevy Camaro Z/28 - The Slash Is Back

GM engineers were told to make it the most road course slaughtering muscle car ever, so everything was done in terms of function. Standard headlights were used but the driving lights were eliminated to save weight. Massive brake ducts lurk behind the lower bumper opening and the grille was opened up for better airflow to its extra oil cooler. It runs the same hood as the SS but with the hood vents opened up further.

The carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes found on the ZR1 Corvette were tweaked and mounted to the Camaro. They help shed a ton of rotating weight, but more importantly they offer amazing, fade-free braking performance. They are also one of the reasons why the Z/28 will have a sticker price higher than the ZL1.

The Z/28 is the only GM car, and we think one of the only production cars, to run 305mm-wide tires up front. To save weight, GM also shrunk the wheel diameter to 19 inches. Since the Camaro was designed around a 20-inch wheel, this created a larger-than-optimal tire-to-fender gap. The way to fix this and keep the tires from sticking out past the fenders, was to add fender lips. We imagine these will be big sellers in the aftermarket.

While the ZL1 showcased magnetic ride control, the Z/28 took a more analog approach. Each corner of the new Camaro supercar features Multimatic Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) dampers. Fielded for years in the F1 and Le Mans racing world, this is the first time they've been made available in a volume production road car.

While the ZL1 was given drag race considerations, the Z/28 was molded as a pure track car. One nod to this single-mindedness is the Torsen helical limited-slip differential. This little piece of engineering cut 0.7 seconds per lap off the Milford road course times. It offers improved ABS functions during cornering and more traction on corner exit. The downside is that it's not as robust for drag racing, but then again, that's why they sell the COPO.

The Z/28 fields some of the best rubber out there; DOT-legal 305/30-19 Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R on all four corners. The asymmetric tires carry a super sticky 40 treadwear, and replacements will set you back around $500 each. As Mark Stielow of GM told us,

The Z/28 has a ton of aero tricks up its proverbial sleeve. The front splitter is super strong and capable of generating 250 pounds of downforce; while Gurney flaps and a belly pan help further control air movement.

We got to ride along in the new Z/28 at GM's Milford Proving Grounds road course and we were amazed with how the car stuck to the pavement. Even more impressive was how deep the drivers could go into the corners before slamming on the brakes. Since the Z/28 is rated as

The rear spoiler is unique to the Z/28 and helps the car produce 440 more pounds of downforce than the SS (at 150 mph).

The Z/28's dry-sump LS7 is almost 64 pounds lighter than the supercharged LSA engine in the ZL1, and while it makes around 75 hp less, the weight savings result in improved weight balance. The 427 puts out 481 lb-ft of torque and features internal upgrades like Mahle pistons and Pankl-coated titanium connection rods. To feed the 7-liter engine, there's a high-flow airbox equipped with a K&N filter.

When car companies want to show what their cars can do, they ship them to Germany's famed Nurburgring. Rain kept parts of the road damp, but even with that, the Z/28 lapped the track in 7:37.40. That's 4 seconds faster than the ZL1 and faster than the published times for the Porsche 911 Carrera S and the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640. The Z/28 logged over 1,000 miles around The 'Ring and knocked down much faster unofficial laps in the dry, like over 5 seconds faster. Still, the official time is quite impressive and GM plans on returning to Germany to make the unofficial times official.

The interior of the Z/28 is pretty basic except for the Recaro seats. The stereo is still nuzzled in the dash, but the speakers and wiring were removed to save weight. To shed more pounds, the rear seat no longer folds down and is made with lightweight foam. If you want tunes, you'll need to order up the optional A/C system since that is the only way to get speakers and wiring. It will add just over 30 pounds to the car.

We cast an eye on the 2.9 mile, 18-turn Milford Road Course that opened around 2003. A behind the scenes look at The Crucible, GM's Milford Road Course, where Corvette performance is forged. - Vette Magazine » Read More